sanfoed



(No Model.) 3 sheets sheet 1.

S. J. SANFORD. FIRE TELEGRAPHY.

No. 337,439. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

41M a %W% (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. J; SANFORD. FIRE TELEGRAPHY.

No. 337,439. Patented Mar. 9, 1886'.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. S. J. SANFORD. FIRE TBLEGRAPHY.

No. 337,439. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcnt SIDNEY JAMES SANFORD, OF BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA.

Fl RE-TELEGRAPHY.

EiPECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,439, dated March 9,1886.

Application filed So temher 1, 1884. Serial No. 111,976. (No model.)

The invention relates to that class of telegraph fire-alarms in which the bell at a firestation is caused to indicate by strokes the particular number represented by the streetboX from which the alarm is given; and the object of the invention is to so arrange. the apparatus that asingle street-circuit may be utilized for the purpose of operating certain mechanism, by which a number representing theparticular box from which the alarm is given is posted in the fire-hall simultaneously with the ringing of the bell; and it consists, essentially, first, in peculiarly-arranged mechanism in the street-box, by which the streetcurrcnt is first broken, so as to actuate the numbering mechanism within the fire-hall, and afterward to actuate the mechanism within the fire-hall by which the bell is caused to strike. p

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective top view of the numbering apparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspective top View of the numbering apparatus with the top plate removed. Figs. 3 and 4: are perspective views of the operating mechanism of the street-box. Fig. 5 isaperspective view showing the general arrangement of the wires.

.In the drawings like letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in each figure, which figures I have arranged in general to indicate the street-box and its connection by a single street-circuit to the fire-alarm and numbering mechanism, and in detail to indicate the component parts of the mechanism involved in the invention.

riphery rubber or other insulating material, the said rubber or other insulating material being divided and set in the periphery, so that on one side of the contactpoint of the spring 0 the periphery of'the wheel shall be brass, while on the other side of the contact-point the periphery of the wheel shall be insulating material, so that the current conveyed into the wheel D by the contact-spring O cannot escape through the contact-springF during the period that it is intended that it should pass fromthecontactspringG. The contact-spring G is connected by the wire H to the contactspring I, which is arranged to come in contact with the periphery of the wheel J. This wheel is fixed to its spindle K, and is not insulated from the said spindle,- so that any current conveyed into the wheel J shall pass through the frame L back into the streetwire A. The periphery of the wheel J has a number of non-conducting spaces, (a, made in it so that the current shall be broken at intervals as the surface of the wheel J is carried past the contact-pointof the spring I. These non-conducting spaces are arranged to correspond in number with the number represented by the street-box, or, rather, are arranged so as to break the current the number of times necessary to operate the numbering mechanism in the fireball, as hereinafter more particularly explained. The contact-spring F is connected by the wire M to the contact-spring N. The end of this contact-spring N is arranged to come into contact with the wheel 0, which has a number of non-conducting spaces, b, arranged in its periphery to correspond with the number of the box to be indicated by the bell in the hall.

As before stated, when the current is arranged to pass into the frame L through the contact-spring G, the contact-spring F is held out of circuit by resting on the non-conducting material in the wheel D, and vice versa when the current is conveyed intothe frame L through the contact-spring F the contactspring G is then held out of circuit by the non-conducting material on the wheel D. In this way the wheel 0 is out of circuit when the wheel Jis operating the numbering mechanism, while when the Wheel 0 is operating the bell-circuit thewheel J is held out of circuit. Thus the same circuit is utilized for the purpose of performing two distinct services over the same streetwire.

As I claim nothing peculiar in the plan for driving the mechanism in the street-box, it is not necessary to describe or show it in detail. It is sui'iicient to merely say that the gearing is driven by any kind of mechanism adopted n street-boxes used in fire-alarm telegraphy.

The only points to be observed are, first, that the spindle E on which the wheel D is fixed shall be so geared to the spindle K on which the wheel J is fixed that the said wheel J shall make one revolution while the wheel D merely moves sufliciently to bring the contact-point of the spring G from one end of the conductingspace c to its other end, so that the wheel D shall be in contact through the contactspring G only during the period that the wheel J revolves; and, secondly, that the wheel 0 shall be so geared relatively that the wheel D with it shall revolve three times during the period that the wheel D moves sufficiently to bring the contact-point of the spring F from the commencement to the end of the conductingsurface. The wheels J and O are geared in this manner so that the numbering apparatus shall only be moved to indicate once the given number of the box, while the wheel 0 revolves three ti mes in order to cause the striking mechanism to operate so as to give the alarm of the box three times in succes' sion. 7

The foregoing will be sntlicicnt to indicate the changes in the streetboX which will be necessary to operate my invention, so far as it may be affected by the street-box.

The next point is to describe the mechanism by which the numbering apparatus and bell circuit are operated by the current from the street-wire. Street-wire A B is connected to the binding-post I. These bindingposts are insulated from the frame Q of the machine, but are connected to the helix of the electro magnets It, so that the current in passing from A B passes through the electro-magnets R, keeping them charged during the period that the circuit is closed.

S represents wires leading from an independent battery and connectingabell-working apparatus. One of the wires is connected to the binding post T, which is insulated from the frame Q. The other wire is connected to the binding-post U, which is not insulated from the frame Q.

V is a wire leading from the binding-post T to the core W of the electro-magnet B. So long as the lever X is in contact with the core \V the circuit from the wires S is complete through the frame Q, as the lever X is connected to the said frame by its pivoted spindle Y.

Z is a spring designed to throw the lever X away from the core V. (See Fig. 2.) From this it will be seen that so long as the streetwire A B is in circuit the lever X will be held in contact with the core VJ, and consequently the bell-circuit will be closed. The instant that the street-circuit is broken the spring Z will draw the lever X away from the core W, thereby breaking the bell-circuit. \Vhen the street-circuit is closed again the power of the magnet is Sll'ifiClQllb to draw the lever X back again against the core XV, thus closing the bell-circuit. Consequently each time thatthe street-circuit is opened and closed the lever X leaves and returns to the core \V, and through its motion the entire mechanism of'the number-imlicating apparatus and the bell'ringing apparatus is controlled.

0 (see Fig. 2) is a spindlejournaled in the frame Q and caused to revolve by the action of the spring (Z.

c is a spur-wheel fastened to the spindle c, and arranged to mesh with the pinion f, fastened to the spindleg. To this spindleg is also keyed the spur-wheel h, which meshes with the pinion i, fastened to the spindle j. The spur-wheel 7a is fastened to the spindlej and meshes with a pinion, m, which is keyed to the spindle n, on which is fastened what may be termed a flystop. 0, which fly-stop is therefore caused to revolve by the action of the spring (I, but so long as the lever X is held against the core \V, the forked end of the lev ver X pressing against the lly-stop 0, and by holding it stationary prevents the chain of mechanism leading from it to the spring from moving. Each time that the circuit is broken by the lever X moving on its pivot Y and leaving the core, the fly-stop 0 is permitted to make one-half a revolution, and when the circuit is closed by the lever X coming in contact with the core the balance of the revolution is made by the fly-stop 0, so that in proportion to the number of times thatthe current is opened. and closed the fly'stop 0 will revolve and the chain of mechanism leading from the fly-stop 0 to the spring (I will move.

1) (see Fig. l) is a spur-wheel keyed to the top of the spindle 9. Consequently the spur wheel 1) will be caused to revolve in proportion to the number of times that the circuit is opened and closed. This spur-wheel is arranged to operate the numbering mechanism, as hereinafter explained.

r is a spring arranged to impart motion to the spur-wheel s, which is keyed to the same spindle as the spring 1" is fastened to. This spurwvheel s meshes with the pinion 15, fastened to the spindle u, on which spindle is fastened the spur-wheel 22, arranged to mesh with the pinion 20, which is keyed to the same spindie as thespu r-wheel x. This latter spur-wheel meshes with the pinion 7, which is fastened to the same spindle as the escapement-whecl .2. It will be seen from this description that the chain of gearing between the spring 1' and escapementwheel z will be driven by the ac tion of the spring 1', which action is, however, to a certain extent controlled by the hooked end of the lever X, which is arranged to engage with the teeth of the cscapcment-wheel z, and intermittentl y arrest its motion during IIO the periodthat the circuit is being opened and closed.

In order to hold the chain of gearing operated by the spring 9, I fix to the spindle u a notched wheel or cam, 2, and provide a lever, 3, which is pivoted on the frame Q, as at 3, and has a hooked end arranged to engage with the notched wheel 2. The other end of the lever 3 is held by the spring 4-, so as to keep the hooked end of the lever 3 in contact with the notched wheel 2.

5 is a pinion fixed to the spindle j, and hearing against .the lever 3, so that each tooth as it comes around will move the lever and cause it to come out of the notches of the cam 2. The spindlej is so geared to the fly-stop 0 that for each half-revolution of 0 one tooth of the pinion 5 will work against the lever 3 and push it out of the notch it may happen to be in.

6 is a hooked catch.

7 is a spring which keeps the hooked catch 6 continually pressing against the end of the lever 3, so as to engage with the lever 3 whenever it is pressed out of a notch of the earn 2, and to hold the lever 3 until such time as a notch in the cam 2 comes round to the catch 6 and moves it away from the lever 3, and thus releases it.

8 is a cam fixed to the spindle u.

9, 10, and 11 are levers carrying at one end the pinions 12, 13, and 14, respectively, and provided with springs at the other end which keep them continually pressed against the cam 8, and are so arranged that the cam 8, when made to revolve, presses against them so as to put the pinions 12, 13, and 14 into and out of gear with the spurwheel 10 alternately. The cam 2 has four notches, three of such a size thatthelever 3, when pressed out by the motion of the pinion 5, releases the cam 2. The fourth is so much larger that the lever 3, when pressed out by the pinion 5, does notmove sufficiently to release the cam 2, and thus the motion of this chain of gearing is stopped whenever the lever3 engages with this fourth notch until such time as the lever 3 is pressed out by hand. The notched wheel2 and the cam S are fixed to the spindleuin such a manner that when the lever 3 is in the largest notch the cam 8 will be in such position thatthe pinions 12, 13, and 14 will all be out of gear with the spur-wheel 1), (see Fig. 1,) and, if the lever 3 be pushed out by hand, so as to release the cam 2, and the spindle u is allowed to revolve until stopped by the lever 3, catching in the next notch of the cam 8, the cam 2 will then have turned so as to press against the lever '9 and move the pinion 12 into gear with the spur-wheel p, and when the cam 2 is released by the lever 3, being pushed out by the pinion 5, and is allowed to revolve until again caught by the lever 3 coming to the next notch, the cam 8 will have revolved, so as to let the pinion 12 out of gear, and the pinion 13 will be moved into gear with the upper wheel, 19, and the cam 2 being released and caught in the next notch the cam 8 will have moved so as to press against thelever l1 and move the pinion 14 into gear with the spurwheel 19.

15 is a lever pivoted in the frame Q.

16 is a spring which draws one end of the lever 15 against the lower end of the insulated binding-post T.

17 is a cam fixed in thespindle u, and made to come against the lever 15, so as to move it away from contact with the binding-post T. Now, as the lever 15 is not insulated from the frame Q, whenever it is in contact with the binding-post T the circuit from the wires S is complete and the action of the lever X, which is controlled by the electro-magnets R, will have no influence on the bell-circuit S, so that, in fact,the hell-circuits will be cut ot'ffrom con trol of the street-circuit A B. The cam 17 is so fixed in the spindle athat when the machine is at rest the lever 1.5 will be pressed away from the binding-post T, so that the circuit from the wiresS will be broken there,but completed through the lever X and the core W, and the first break of the street-circuit will allow the lever X to move away from the core NV, and thus break the bell-circuit S. As soon as this action has taken place, the cam 17 will have revolved past the end of the lever 15, and the spring 16 will draw the lever 15 against the bindingpost T, where it will remain until the numbering apparatus has indicatedthe box struck. The cam 17 will then have revolved around so as to press against the lever 15 and again move it away from the bindingpost T, thus allowing the bell-circuit S to be operated by the street-circuit A B.

The pinions 12, 13, and 14 carry numbering-disks, which are each numbered from 0 to 9. One digit of each disk is seen through a slot in the outside cover of the machine. When the machine is at rest, the 0 will show and the pinion 12 will be in gear with the spur'wheel p.

I will now describe the action. \Vhen the street box is at rest, the contact-spring G will be bearing on a conducting-space, and the contact-spring F will be hearing on a non-conducting space, so that the streetcircuit A B will be complete through the contact-spring I bearing on the wheel J. The non-conducting spaces on the periphery of the wheel J are arranged in'three groups. The first group represents the hundreds, the second group the tens, and the third the units, and in the numbering apparatus the disks each correspond to one of these groups, so that whatever number is required for the hundreds-disk there will be that number of non-conducting spaces in the hundreds group of the wheel J, and so with the tens and units. The street-box being put in motion the contactspring I comes on a nonconducting space, and thus breaking the cir-' cuit it will cause the electro-magnets R in the numbering apparatus (see Fig. 1) to release the lever X, and this will allow the fly-stop o to make half a revolution. At the same time this will break the bell-circuit S, and cause IIO the bell to give one stroke, and the pinion 12, being in gear with the spur-wheel 1), will be moved from the figure Oto the figure l. \Vhen the contact-spring I comes on the next conducting-space, the lever X will be drawn against the core 1V and will allow the fly-stop 0 to complete its revolution. The pinion 12 will have turned to the figure 1 and the lever3 will have been pushed out by the pinion 5, so as to release the cam 2. This will allow the spindle a to turn slightly, and the cam 17 will move away from the lever 15 and allow it to come in contact with the bindingpost T, thus cutting off'the bell-circuit S, as before described, and for every time the contact-spring I passes over a non-conducting space on the wheel J, the pinion 12 will be turned so as to show a different number until all of the hundreds group have been passed. During this time the intermittent action of the escape- 1nent-wheel Z, by acting intermittently on the lever X, prevents the chain otmechanism from moving rapidly; but when the contactspring I has passed over the first group of figures it comes to a long comluctiug-space, when the lever X, being held in contact with the core WV, the escapement wheel 2 will turn rapidly until the cam 2 is caught in the next notch by the lever 3. This action will turn the cam 8, so as to release the lever S) and come against the lever 10, thus causing the pinion 12 to be out of gear and putting the pinion 13 into gear. When the contact'spring I comes to and passes over the second group on the wheel J, the same action will take place in the numbering apparatus, only the second or tens disk will be turned to its numher, and the lever 15 will still remain in contact with the binding-post T, and so with the third group and units-disk. When the third long conducting-space on the wheel Jhas been reached by the contact-spring I, cam 8 will come around, so that all the pinions 12, 13, and 14 will be out of gear. Cam 17 will have come around and pressed againstthe lever 15, and move it away from the binding-post T, and the cam 2 will have come around until caught by the lever 3 in the long notch, and, as before described, this will arrest the mot-ion of the chain of mechanism until the lever 3 has been released by hand. The figures representing the number of the street-box will then show through the slot in the face of the numbering apparatus. The wheel J in the street-box having now made one revolution, the contact-spring G passes onto a non-conducting space on the wheel D, and the contact-spring F passes onto a conducting-space, thus transferring the current from the wheel J to the wheel 0 through the contactspring N, when the wheel 0, revolving, brings the contact-spring N over a non-00ndnoting-space and thus breaks the current, causing the electromagnet It in the numbering apparatus to release the lever X, and as the lever 15 is not now in contact with the binding-post T, this action will break the bell-circuit S between the armature V and the lever X and thus cause the bell-striking apparatus to give one stroke, and as the contact-spring N passes over each non-conducting space on the wheel 0 one stroke of the bell will be given in like manner until the proper number has been struck.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In fire-alarm telegraphy, a street-alarm box provided with circuit-closing springs F and G, rotating wheel D, arranged to bring said springs alternately into circuit, two circuit-breakers, as J O and I N, and line-eonnections, substantially as described,combined with a numbering apparatus provided with the electro'magnet It It, lever X, fly-stop 0, and escapenient z, intermittingly released by said lever to control the numbering-disks, substantially as described.

2. In a device for the purpose described, the combination, with the nuniberingdisksp, 12, 13, and 14-, and levers and cams, as described, ot' the escapernent 2, spring 0*, chain of gearing arranged between said escapement and spring and driven by said spring, the electro-niagnet R R, fiy-stop 0, and lever X, intermittently attached thereby to control said chain of gearing and nui'nbering-disks, as set forth.

3. In fire-alarm telegraphy in which a numbering apparatus, as 19, 12 13 1 1, and connections to exhibit the number of the alarm struck is employed in addition to the alarmbell mechanism, as described, arranged to operate the numbering apparatus,and controlled through breakers I N J O and connections by a single streetcircuit, in combination with bell-operating mechanism provided with an independent circuit, S, connected to the numbering apparatus and controlled by the action of the mechanism of the numbering appara tus, substantially as herein specified.

4. In fire-alarm telegraphy in which anumbering apparatus, as p, 12 13 14, and connec' tions to exhibit the number of the alarm struck is employed in addition to the alarm bell mechanism, as D J O, and springs F G I N, operated from a single street-circuit and connected to an independent bell-circuit, S, a fly- ICO IEO

stop, 0, and leverX, all arranged and operated to first strike the bell once, then set the indicating-numbers, and finally strike the alarm on the bell, substantially as set forth.

Toronto, August 22, 1884.

s. J. SANFORD.

In presence of W. O. J. KING, Ormnnns CLINTON BALDWIN. 

